Samson and Delilah (2009 film)

Samson and Delilah
File:Samson and Delilah poster.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Warwick Thornton
Produced by	Kath Shelper
Written by	Warwick Thornton
Starring	Rowan McNamara Marissa Gibson
Cinematography	Warwick Thornton
Edited by	Roland Gallois
Distributed by	Madman Entertainment
Release dates	20 February 2009 (2009-02-20) (Adelaide) 7 May 2009 (2009-05-07) (Australia)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English Warlpiri

Samson and Delilah is a 2009 Australian film and was directed by Warwick Thornton. It stars Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson, both young first time actors. It was filmed in and around Alice Springs. Described as a "survival love story" by the director, the film depicts two indigenous Australian 14-year-olds living in a remote Aboriginal community who steal a car and escape their difficult lives by going to Alice Springs. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Caméra d'Or ('Gold Camera Award' for best first feature film) at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Screen Australia announced on 29 September 2009 that the film had been nominated as Australia's official entry in the Academy Awards best foreign language film category.

Plot

Samson and Delilah are two 14-year-olds who live in an Aboriginal community near Alice Springs. Samson sniffs petrol every morning. He lives in a run-down shelter with his brother's band playing reggae music, all day, right outside his bedroom. Samson is interested in Delilah, who lives with her grandmother. He throws a rock at her outside the local convenience store. In spite of mocking encouragement from her grandmother Delilah is not interested in him. Samson spends a day following Delilah around. He attempts to move in with Delilah. Delilah's grandmother dies and the old women in the community blame her 'neglect' for her grandmother's death and thrash her with sticks. Samson in a fit of rage beats his brother with a stick to shut him and his band up. His brother beats him up. Samson steals a car and takes Delilah with him to Alice Springs where they live rough under a bridge over the dry bed of the Todd River. Gonzo, a deranged homeless man living there helps them. Samson continues to sniff petrol. At one point, he gets so high from the fumes that he does not notice when Delilah is taken by a group of white teenagers in a car. She is raped and bashed, but she eventually comes back to Samson, who is unconscious with petrol intoxication. She begins sniffing petrol too. Under the same circumstances as her abduction, they are both walking along the street and Delilah is hit by a car. When Samson eventually comes to and realises she has been hit he believes she is dead, and cuts off his hair as a sign of respect. He spends weeks sitting in the same position under the bridge sniffing petrol as a means of getting over Delilah's death. Delilah comes back and rescues Samson, and they are both brought back to their old village. As they arrive one of the community's old women begins to beat Samson with a stick for stealing the community's only car. Delilah decides to take Samson away to a secluded area, as a way of rehabilitating, and getting over his petrol sniffing habit. Eventually Samson stops sniffing petrol, and over time Delilah is able to coax him back to his original state.

Cast

• Rowan McNamara as Samson
• Marissa Gibson as Delilah
• Mitjili Napanangka Gibson as Nana
• Scott Thornton as Gonzo
• Matthew Gibson as Samson's Brother
• Steven Brown as Drummer
• Gregwyn Gibson as Bass Player
• Noreen Robertson Nampijinpa as Fighting Woman
• Kenrick Martin as Wheelchair Boy
• Peter Bartlett as Storekeeper

Reception

Based on 48 reviews, the film holds a 94% Fresh rating on the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The critical consensus states that "Alternately beautiful and heartrending, Samson and Delilah is terrifically acted and shot, and presents a complex portrait of what it means to be Australian." Samson and Delilah received five stars from both Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton on At The Movies, and was the only film to receive such a rating from the hosts in 2009.

Craig Mathieson of SBS awarded the director's debut feature film four stars out of five, commenting that "the picture has an intrinsic sweetness, a genuine belief in the power of an individual’s love, but it is offset by a brutal worldview. "

Awards

Award	Category	Nominee	Result
Art Film Fest	Best Director	Warwick Thornton	Won
Asia Pacific Screen Awards	Best Film	Kath Shelper	Won
Australian Film Institute	Best Direction	Warwick Thornton	Won
	Best Film	Kath Shelper	Won
	Best Original Screenplay	Warwick Thornton	Won
	Best Cinematography		Won
	Best Sound		Won
	Best Editing	Roland Gallois	Nominated
	Best Lead Actor	Rowan McNamara	Nominated
	Best Lead Actress	Marissa Gibson	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actress	Mitjili Napanangka Gibson	Nominated
Australian Screen Sound Guild	Best Sound Design		Won
Australian Writers' Guild	Feature Film	Warwick Thornton	Won
	Major Award	Warwick Thornton	Won
Cannes Film Festival	Golden Camera Award	Warwick Thornton	Won
Dublin International Film Festival	Best Film	Warwick Thornton	Won
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards	Best Cinematography		Won
	Best Director	Warwick Thornton	Won
	Best Film	Kath Shelper	Won
	Best Actress	Marissa Gibson	Nominated
	Best Editing		Nominated
	Best Screenplay		Nominated
IF Awards	Best Sound		Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival	John Schlesinger Award – Honorable Mention	Warwick Thornton	Won

Box office

Samson and Delilah grossed $3,188,931 at the box office in Australia.

See also

• Cinema of Australia

External links

• Official website
• Samson and Delilah at IMDb